The stranger sighed and propped himself up against a wall. His chestnut pupils landed on Larnos who gave a momentary glance before looking out into the street, scanning the crowd for signs of the group that had left without a fuss.
" Can I trust you? " The man inquired.
" I can't promise you anything kid, " Larnos responded as he leaned against a wall which was directly parallel to where the man sat. Larnos noticed the man's clothes. The soles of the boots he wore were almost smooth save for indents most likely made by the manufacturers.
The pair of jeans he wore were soiled at the edges close to his ankles with a certain dried gray substance. Larnos subconsciously moved his foot away from the man. The younger man's hair was unkempt and had a greasy look to it. Although he didn't have concrete proof, Larnos was sure that the man had not bathed in a while or had reduced the quality of upkeep and he had a suspicion as to why.
" So you gonna talk about your current predicament or are we going to sit in silence for who knows how long? " Larnos questioned.
The man nodded in response and introduced himself as Marquis. He raised his hand as though offering a handshake to the soldier who contemplated about accepting or rejecting the offer for a moment. Ultimately he accepted the handshake and for a brief moment he saw the man's eyes light up.
' Just how much of a fuck up has he done? ' He thought as the man let go of his hand.
" Judging by your outfit I guess you work with Elysion. " He gestured to the jacket Larnos was currently wearing.
" This is just a piece of clothing kid, " he said as he looked at the sleeves of said jacket. " Just because I wear it doesn't mean I work for them. Besides corporations have a tendency to fuck over employees and the scope of fuckery depends on the financial power of the said employee. "
Marquis let out a grunt as he seemingly agreed. Mumbling something under his breath Marquis looked out onto the street.
" You know, " he spoke. " I envy them. "
" Care to explain or you're gonna leave it open for interpretation? "
" The elites I mean. They go about their lives without a damn care in the world and act like interacting with people like me is nothing short of torture for them, " he spat.
" Let me guess, financial strength plays a major role in this 'paradise' if I'm not mistaken. "
" Hit the nail right on the damn head. "
" Two hundred fucking years and people still have time for this shit? "Larnos mumbled as he recalled the chip implant Mustang told him about.
" You said something? " Marquis asked.
" Just the ramblings of an old man who might be in way over his head all things considered, " Larnos responded.
" Yeah, " Marquis responded. " Either way you're now involved in this glorious shit show and it involves a group of extremely powerful people. "
" How are you still alive then? " Larnos inquired.
Marquis shrugged before chucking it up to sheer dumb luck. Larnos knew a thing or two about dumb luck that got him out of extremely sticky situations.
" Alright, give me the gist of your predicament, " he told Marquis.
Letting out a sigh he began to explain his current situation.
" I used to work as a low level researcher for a sub branch of a mega corp. The usual stuff of money laundering and corrupt activities by the higher ups and we the simple folk taking the brunt of their bullshit. But the thing is, they got sloppy. So sloppy that records of transactions that should not have transpired began to show up in audits.
So I decided to do a bit of investigation and I found myself going down a rabbit hole that ended up with me drawing attention from higher ups and boy were they pissed. I tried to keep my head low and just be another face in the crowd but seems some rich bloke decided to take it extremely personal and sent his 'associates' to 'talk' to me.
So I had no choice but to gather every scrap of dirt I had on them, compiled it and tried to escape but as you saw, they knew I would do that and tried to intercept and take me out. "
Marquis fished out a small rectangular object out of his pants. Its dull gray finish made it inconspicuous but most often at times the most mundane of things can be catalysts for some of the most catastrophic events which could span decades.
" What you have there is a modern day Pandora's box, " Larnos replied.
" Pandora's box? Who is Pandora? " Marquis inquired. " She some kind of niche' celebrity? "
" You don't know the story behind Pandora? " Larnos asked, a subtle hint of surprise in his tone.
Marquis merely shrugged in response.
" In other words that right there," he pointed at the device. " That thing is the equivalent of lighting an explosive that topples either an empire or a considerable part of it. "
" So what you're saying is that I'm screwed way more than I realize, " Marquis concluded.
" We need to move, " Larnos informed him. " Know any safe places where you could lay low? "
" If I had any, consider them exposed. " Marquis sighed in exasperation. " Just what have I gotten myself into? "
Larnos merely observed the man before once more looking out into the street. He saw two figures that stood out from the rest and he immediately knew that the 'experts' had been called in. They stood a great deal away but training and combat experience allowed him to discern the fact that they were not the usual pedestrians.
The one on the left had jet black waist length hair which gradually shifted to white as it got closer to the bottom. She had on a futuristic version of what a stereotypical female Chinese character would wear in a run of the mill martial arts film. It consisted of a mostly black color scheme with white accents and gold on the inside of the parts of clothes which he could see. Her amber eyes were trained on the two.
The one on the right wore a form fitting gray straight dress that ended just above her knees and a brown fur jacket. She also had jet black hair but unlike her companion did not have a secondary color. Her piercing red eyes watched from across the street.
" Where can you go right now if you need to stay low? " He asked as he surveyed around in case the duo had another member he could not see.
" My shitty apartment, " Marquis answered bitterly.
Without uttering a word Larnos walked over to him, lifted him up while discreetly taking the small item and stuffing it deep down a pocket in his jacket. Marquis wore a look of both shock and worry but Larnos was used to this. Multiple rescue missions usually had one thing in common. The more oblivious the target to be rescued is, the better the chances of success.
" We're going there now," he told Marquis and gave a look that shot down any means of resistance.
" Sure," he heard him mumble. " Let's lead the stranger to where you live. "
As the duo entered the street, Larnos maintained his gaze upon the two women who returned the action. Those two were most likely Nikkes sent in to make this as discrete as possible and chances were that they were given some form of exclusion to the rule of Nikke being unable to harm or kill humans.
" We'll have to take the train, " Marquis spoke as he led them into a railway station. " It's the fastest and cheapest. "
" Understood," he responded as he watched the duo begin to follow them from a distance.
Seeing as Nikke were discriminated amongst members of the Ark, the more crowded the place was the better their chances of slipping away even if it's just for a moment and where else was more crowded than a public transport service station.
" Everything alright? Are we being followed? " Marquis asked as he nearly began to look around.
Placing a hand on his shoulder to ease his worries Larnos assured the young man that with all things considered things were better than before if only slightly.
That seemed to ease his nerves for a bit as Marquis led them to a reception desk. She greets them with a practiced smile and Marquis bought two tickets. Out of the corner he saw the two casually lounging around but kept enough distance to avoid any suspicion from anyone who isn't paying attention.
The duo rode the train in silence while people around them seemed to be absorbed in their own worlds. He couldn't see the two but knew they were close by. Arriving at their intended destination the duo descended and approached a multi storey building which looked dilapidated even to his eyes. He winced for a brief moment and Marquis saw it.
" Hey it's not much but at least I have a roof over my head, " he countered. " For now at least. "
The reception area had a middle aged woman who merely gave a grunt in response to Marquis greeting. Her tired eyes met with Larnos's and she looked behind him for a moment. That action proved that their pursuers had caught up to them.
' Shit, ' he cursed as the duo stood at the entrance.
Dropping all pretenses he shoved Marquis up the flight of stairs and the telltale signs of footsteps meant the chase had begun. The two women caught up almost immediately as they reached the end of the stairs.
The multi-colored hair woman attempted to grab Marquis clothe but Larnos yanked him out of the way and pushed him into an empty hallway while maintaining eye contact with the feminine duo.
" Can't we talk this out? " Larnos inquired even though he knew the answer.
The woman wearing the tight fitting outfit pulled out an axe from who knows where. Marquis let out a whimper as he began to scurry away.
" Who the hell are they?!" He asked as he continued to back away.
" Best way to explain it is that they are experts sent in to make sure things go well for whoever sent the earlier group. "
Marquis was about to respond when the axe wielding woman charged past Larnos only for him to grab her hair and then her neck with his other hand, stopping her charge and somehow used her own momentum to fling her back.
With the battle lines drawn he mentally prepared for what would most definitely be a tough fight. The woman's ally pulled out a pair of brass knuckles and tossed them at Larnos.
' Shit. ' He cursed mentally as he reflexively grabbed them and realized what it meant.
The knuckle dusters felt cold to the touch and the dim hallway light gave the metallic coating a sheen. Unfortunately he wasn't given anymore time to examine the weapons as the duo charged at him.
The multi-colored haired woman delivered a blow to his midriff which he was able to block at the last moment. The telltale sound of a broken rib reverberated throughout the hallway. The woman paused, a look of surprise on her face and Larnos took advantage of her hesitation.
A series of quick jabs pushed her back but the damage was already done. He was certain he had a broken rib but that didn't mean he couldn't fight. The axe wielding woman swung her axe at him from above. He leaped back and watched as the blade struck the concrete with a heavy thud.
He stepped on the blade, simultaneously driving it deeper into the concrete and pushing it behind him. She followed suit as her hands were still wrapped around the pommel of the weapon and he drove his knee into her face.
A sharp pain tore through the knee he just used but gritting his teeth he pushed his knee deeper into her face, forcing her entire head to arch back ever so slightly. The other woman came in from the side, an object in her hand as it cut through the air and embedded itself into the arm he raised to shield his head.
She pushed herself into him, pinning him against the wall which broke from the force of the impact. Marquis let out a whimper before trying to crawl away only to realize the path had come to an end.
As the woman forced him against the wall, she delivers a series of jabs to his side which coincidentally was where the broken rib was. The pain increased tenfold and a surge of adrenaline gave him enough strength to push the woman back if only by a few centimeters and he managed to slip out.
The duo stepped back and he noticed the axe wielding one have a small trail of blood. Her face was without emotion while her counterpart had a maniac grin.
' Of course one is cold hearted while the other is a psycho, ' he thought as he leaned against the wall.
" Can't I even get a name? " He asked.
The duo shared a look before the maniac grinning one spoke;
" Name's K and that's D. " She pointed at her ally.
" Larnos, " he responded. " Can I convince you two ladies to walk away? "
" Sorry cutie but we can't," K answered as she entered a stance. " Why not just lay down? It would make things much easier for everyone. "
He glanced at Marquis who was stricken with fear. He shook his head and pushed himself off the wall and that alone took much more effort than he initially thought. He brought up both fists.
" Sorry dearie, I am not one to go out without a fight to the bitter end and you both are coming with me. "
In response D charged at him once again and delivered a blow into his midriff, forcing bile to rise up but he forced it down and tried to deliver a blow to the back of her head but she evaded it easily and countered it by delivering a kick to the side of his head.
His ears rung and his vision became blurry but he refused to call it quits. He took a deep breath and waited for her to strike again and she did. As her fist drew near his face he grabbed it and somehow managed to flip her over before dislocating her entire arm. She crashed into the ground so hard the entire building shook but somehow the floors had not caved in.
' Impressive infrastructure, ' he thought as the concussion began to lessen.
" You're quite strong, " D speak as she stood up. " For a human at least. "
" I ain't done yet. " He spat out blood and readied himself once more. " Us humans are unbelievably stubborn. "